Square Enix has been one of the biggest publishers and developers in the gaming industry since the merging of SquareSoft and Enix in 2003. Even before that, both SquareSoft and Enix were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking games, such asFinal FantasyandDragon Quest.
While Square Enix is primarily known for their RPGs, they have also developed and produced games in other genres that prove they are titans of the industry. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the best Square Enix games that have inspired thousands of other games.
Dragon Quest is absolutely massive in Japan, with new releases leading to hundreds of thousands of people skipping work or school to pick up their copy. While the series wouldn’t exist without the success of the original Dragon Quest, it was Dragon Quest 3 that cemented its legacy.
Dragon Quest became so popular because of its wide appeal. It was created to be a game that could be enjoyed by anyone, with relatively simple combat, characters, and story. It’s true that, looking back now, the first few Dragon Quest games don’t necessarily do anything outstanding, but it was this very simplicity that garnered them such a massive fanbase.
Without Dragon Quest, and especially Dragon Quest 3, we wouldn’t have a lot of the turn-based JRPGs that we have today. In fact, the entire landscape of the genre would be drastically different, so it’s safe to say that Dragon Quest 3 was one of Enix’s most influential games.
Final Fantasy 1 has led to a franchise that comprises some of the best-selling video games of all time, but none of that would exist without Dragon Quest. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, had wanted to make his own RPG for a while, but essentially was not allowed to. That is, until the success of Dragon Quest proved that Eastern audiences were on board.
This led to Final Fantasy, which in its own way has outgrown its Dragon Quest inspirations. Where Dragon Quest embraces simplicity, Final Fantasy has gone for experimentation, with each new entry in the series trying something new. But without Final Fantasy 1, and by extension, Dragon Quest, none of that would exist.
While Final Fantasy 1 spawned the franchise, it was Final Fantasy 7 that has been the most impactful, especially in the West. Final Fantasy 4 and 6 may have proved that RPGs could have a deep and dramatic story, but Final Fantasy 7 brought the whole package together in a way that universally resonated with its audience.
With several sequels, prequels, movies, and an entire remake trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 is definitely Square Enix’s golden child, and for good reason. It’s still one of the most popular Final Fantasy games, and its recent remakes have only skyrocketed its appeal.
Chrono Trigger was developed by a dream team of Square Enix employees: Final Fantasy’s Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest’s Yuji Hori, and Akira Toriyama, who not only created Dragon Ball, but also did the art for Dragon Quest. With this triumvirate in place, along with other prominent developers like Takashi Tokita and Masato Kato, how could Chrono Trigger be anything other than outstanding?
With exceptional art, characters, and story, as well as its groundbreaking multiple endings, Chrono Trigger has gone on to inspire hundreds of other video games. The time travel concept isn’t necessarily unique, but how Chrono Trigger uses its multiple timelines is nothing short of extraordinary, and set the precedent for games with a similar setting going forward.
Octopath Traveler is one of the more recent games on this list, but that doesn’t make it any less influential. Built on the backs of SNES-era JRPGs like Dragon Quest 5, Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, and Live A Live, Octopath Traveler tells eight individual stories about eight different characters.
While this concept is seen earlier in the aforementioned Live A Live, Octopath Traveler is influential because of its art style. Octopath Traveler pioneered the HD-2D art style that Square Enix has gone on to use in other games like Triangle Strategy and the Dragon Quest 3 remake. The art style is absolutely fantastic, bringing a modern feel to the eternal charm of classic pixel art.
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Developed by PlatinumGames, directed by Yoko Taro, and published by Square Enix, Nier: Automata perfectly weaves together its story, themes, and gameplay into a masterpiece that has gone on to inspire dozens of other games. Frankly, the entire Drakengard and Nier franchises are one of the pillars of the RPG genre, touching on themes like existentialism and man’s relationship with machines.
An interesting side note is that the vast majority of the Linux gaming landscape was pioneered by one man whose love for Nier: Automata led him to create the translation layers that allow many PC games to run on Linux. While not strictly intended on Square Enix’s part, you can thank them for the existence of the Steam Deck, too.
Life is Strange is a narrative-driven adventure game about Max Caulfield, who discovers that she has the ability to rewind time. The game focuses on real-world problems and character development wrapped in the beautifully atmospheric setting of Arcadia Bay.
The game’s structure has been the inspiration for many games of a similar kind. Basically, any walking-simulator or narrative-driven adventure without combat released after 2015 can be traced back to Life is Strange.
The first Kingdom Hearts game, released in 2002, represented a massive step forward for the gaming industry, most notably due to its crossover with Disney. The game not only brought in swathes of Disney fans, but its action combat, RPG elements, and appearance of Final Fantasy characters gave it universal appeal.
Kingdom Hearts essentially set the precedent for crossovers in video games, bringing in Disney characters like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, as well as Final Fantasy favorites like Cloud and Sephiroth. Games that heavily rely on crossovers, like Fortnite, may not exist as they do today without Kingdom Hearts.
